Royal Icing

A gingerbread cookie decorated with a landscape painting featuring white birch trees, a blue sky, and pink and yellow flower details
Kim Simons
Prep: 15 minutes
Total: 15 minutes
A classic, smooth icing that dries hard, perfect for decorating cookies and gingerbread houses, made with meringue powder, confectioners' sugar, and water.

Ingredients

Meringue Powder
3 tbsp
Confectioners' sugar
4 cups (about 1 lb)
Warm water
6 tbsp

Instructions

  • Beat all ingredients until icing forms peaks (7-10 minutes at low speed with a heavy-duty mixer, 10-12 minutes at high speed with a hand-held mixer).
  • To thin for pouring, add 1 teaspoon water per cup of royal icing. Use a grease-free spoon or spatula to stir slowly, adding 1⁄2 teaspoon water at a time until you reach the proper consistency.

Notes

• Keep all utensils completely grease-free for proper icing consistency.
• For stiffer icing (or when using a large countertop mixer), use 1 tablespoon less water.